An exercise plan for those 50 and older

As winter wanes, people become more concerned with "getting in shape."

There are a variety of ways to approach that, but I am fond of one, titled "Exercise for People Over 50 Years of Age"

1. Begin by standing on a comfortable surface where you have plenty of room at each side.

2. With a five-pound potato sack in each hand, extend your arms straight out from your sides.

3. Hold your arms in that position for as long as you can. Try to reach at least a full minute -- or longer if you can manage it -- and then relax.

4. Each day you'll find that you can hold this position for just a bit longer. After a couple weeks, move up to 10-pound potato sacks. Eventually, you might even be able to do it with 50-pound potato sacks.

5. This might sound impossible at the beginning, but eventually you should try to get to where you can lift a 100-lb potato sack in each hand, and hold your arms straight for more than a full minute.